A new pollinator garden has been established in Monmouth County, providing a safe haven for essential animals and insects crucial to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The garden, donated by FirstEnergy, was planted at Howell’s Aldrich Elementary School by volunteers from Jersey Central Power & Light’s (JCP&L) Green Team on April 12. The initiative aims to not only support pollinator populations but also serve as an educational resource for the community.
Ray Vender, Advanced Forestry Specialist at FirstEnergy and chair of JCP&L’s Green Team, expressed the importance of creating safe habitats for pollinators, stating, “Pollinators are desperately in need of safe habitats as more and more areas are developed. Planting this garden here in an area where it can thrive and is educational for the kids in our community was an easy choice.”
The Green Team planted a variety of native flowering plants and grasses in the pollinator garden, including serviceberry, goldenrod, coneflower, bayberry, butterfly weed, and red buds. In addition, students at the school each received a sapling and a packet of FirstEnergy’s “Bee The Change” seed mix, designed to aid in developing pollinator-friendly habitats.
FirstEnergy's commitment to protecting pollinators extends beyond this single garden. The company aims to develop 225 acres of new pollinator habitats across its service territory by 2025, with 214 acres already seeded by the end of 2023. This initiative complements their tree planting efforts, with more than 67,000 trees donated and planted since April 2021, including over 3,200 in New Jersey last year.
The donation of the pollinator garden is part of a broader environmental commitment by FirstEnergy. Those interested can learn more about their environmental initiatives on their website at firstenergycorp.com/environment.html.
The establishment of the pollinator garden alongside the tree planting efforts highlights FirstEnergy and JCP&L’s dedication to environmental sustainability and community engagement.